What digital tools can help seniors in everyday life?

Digital tools for seniors are technology that makes everyday life easier: reminders and calendars, help with medicines, video calls with family, and AI companions you can talk to. You buy most of them yourself, and free help is available to get started. Start with whatever gives you trouble day to day, and choose from there.

Say "assistive devices" and most people think of walkers and shower chairs. But much of what makes everyday life easier today lives on your phone or a tablet. Not everyone has learned to use it: in the UK, almost half of people aged 75 and over can't do all the basic things needed to get online, according to Age UK. That's completely normal, and there's help available.

What are digital tools?

Digital tools are technology that helps you manage everyday life yourself: remembering appointments, keeping track of medicines, staying in touch with family and getting answers to your questions. They can be an app on your phone, a tablet, or an AI companion you can talk to.

The idea isn't new. Among other things, the US National Institute on Aging recommends calendars, lists, notes and a daily routine to help with everyday life. Digital tools do the same job, with a reminder that pops up by itself.

The main kinds of digital tools

Reminders and calendars

A reminder on your phone can keep track of the dentist, the hairdresser and birthdays. Most phones have reminders built in, but they can be hard to find and set up. An AI companion can make that easier, because you just say what you want to be reminded about. Read more about daily routines that make life easier.

Help with medicines

If you take several medicines, many pharmacies can pack them into small pouches or blister packs labeled with the day and time. Ask your pharmacist whether that would suit you. A reminder on your phone can then tell you when it's time. Get more tips on keeping track of medicines and appointments.

Video calls with family

A video call on your phone or a tablet lets you see your grandchildren, even when they live far away. See how to stay close when your family lives far away.

A personal emergency alarm, if you might need help fast

An app like Elsy is not an emergency alarm. If you need to be able to call for help quickly, for example after a fall, a personal emergency alarm (also called a medical alert system) lets you get help at the press of a button. Ask your doctor or your local aging services what's available where you live. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

AI companions you can talk to

An AI companion is a program you talk to the way you would talk to a person. There are no menus to find your way through: you just say what you need. That also makes it easier to ask about things you wouldn't otherwise ask anyone. Read more about voice AI assistants for seniors.

Where Elsy comes in

Elsy is an AI companion for older adults. You talk with her in an app on your phone or tablet, and she can help with several of the things above at once.

Daily reminders and medicines

Say "Remind me about the hairdresser on Friday at 10." The reminder arrives as a notification on your phone, and Elsy brings it up when you talk. She also keeps track of your medicines and when to take them, and you can tell her when you've taken them. See more about reminders and daily routines with Elsy.

Answers, letters and messages

Elsy can look things up online, like when the pharmacy is open. If you show her a photo of a letter or a medicine box, she can read it aloud and explain it. And if you ask her to tell your daughter you're doing well today, she sends a short message, as long as your daughter is in Your circle. Elsy remembers what matters to you for the next time you talk.

Your life story, written down

When you tell Elsy about your childhood, your working life or the day you moved into your house, she writes the story up afterward, with your own words as quotes and a picture she paints from your description. You can read the stories or listen to them, and send them to your family whenever you like. See how life stories with Elsy work.

Free help to get started

In the US, AARP's Senior Planet offers free technology classes for people 60 and older, online and in person. In the UK, many local Age UK branches help with digital skills, and most library services help people learn the basics. In either country, your local library is worth asking. You can also ask someone in your family: setting things up often takes about fifteen minutes for someone who's used to it.

How to choose the right tool

• Start with whatever is giving you trouble. If you forget appointments, start with reminders. If you miss your family, start with video calls. A tool you don't need won't get used.
• Try before you commit. Many apps can be tried for free, so you can see whether they suit you.
• Get help with the setup. The hardest part is usually getting started.
• Check who can see your information. Read our guide to choosing an AI app you can trust.

Privacy and security with Elsy

• Your conversations are recorded and stored securely so Elsy can remember what you tell her.
• Your stored data is hosted in the EU.
• What you say is processed by AI services in the United States, including the voice service ElevenLabs, so that Elsy can hear you, answer and remember. The app shows you which ones before you start.
• We never sell your personal data, and we don't use it to train general-purpose AI models.

Your family can join Your circle. Everyone in your circle can read the life stories you send them. The level each person has decides what else they see, from an alert if a conversation suggests something might be wrong, to how you're doing, your reminders and your medicines, to what Elsy remembers about you at the highest level, Full trust. They never see transcripts or recordings of your conversations, but the life stories you send contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. If a family member set Elsy up and gave consent on your behalf, everyone in your circle is at Full trust. Read more about what your family can see and in our privacy policy.

How to get started

Download Elsy from the App Store or Google Play, open the app and tap Talk to Elsy. You're welcome to ask someone in your family to help you get started, and after that you can do the rest with your voice. You can try Elsy free for 3 days on your own phone. See how Elsy works step by step.

Frequently asked questions

How does Elsy work?

Elsy is an AI companion you talk with in an app on your phone or tablet. She can set reminders, keep track of your medicines, answer questions and write down your life stories. She remembers what matters to you for the next time you talk.

Is my data safe with Elsy?

Your conversations are recorded and stored securely, your stored data is hosted in the EU, and we never sell your personal data. So that Elsy can hear you, answer and remember, what you say is processed by AI services in the United States. Your family never sees transcripts or recordings of your conversations. The exception is the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. Their level in Your circle decides what else they can see.

Can Elsy help with dementia?

Elsy doesn't treat dementia and can't diagnose it. But she's designed to make everyday life easier, including when your memory lets you down: she reminds you about appointments and medicines, remembers what you've told her and patiently answers the same question again and again. Read more about Elsy and memory loss and about when to talk to your doctor about your memory.

Do I need a special phone or tablet?

No. Most digital tools, Elsy included, work on an ordinary iPhone, iPad or Android device, so you can usually start with the phone you already have.

This is general information, not medical advice. Every situation is different, so talk to a doctor about yours.